How To Clean A Girl?

DOn't want to sound like a terrible mother who doesn't know what to do......but can you mothers of daughters out there tell me how you clean your girls "BITS"???

Just wondering if you're supposed to get on in there and THROUGHLY clean out everything??? Or are you supposed to just wipe the area (not too throughly???). When I bought our daughter home from the hospital I'm sure my midwife said to not clean out her private parts too throughly as there is good antibacterial stuff that should stay?

In saying that my baby is now over 3 months old...so should I clean away EVERYTHING?

Sometimes there is a build up of nappy rash products (eg MUSTELA talcum powder etc)....is it time to throughly clean everything away?

Also how do I get her to hold still while I do it!

Thanks for your help    :)

Not a stupid question. I remember wondering the same things with Samantha

I pretty much only wiped the general area until Sam was over 6 months. My midwife told me not to wipe away the white stuff as it is sterile and quite ok to be there. I would occasionally just give the whole area a good clean every now and again in the bath with a bit of water and a flannel.

Now that Sam is 9 months I do give her bits a good clean most days after a dirty nappy as they now tend to get poo in there.(sorry probably TMI)

PS. Girls I can do, I am pretty much an expert, but I am terrified this bub will be a boy and I won't know where to start!

I hear that boys are easier if it makes you feel better Emma

And I never thought about it like that in regards to the movement getting poo everywhere. Sam usually has what DH calls a shark fin poo, where it molds to the butt crack and stays like that in the nappyLOL.


Oh, and by the way Salifer, the holding still question. If you figure that one out please let me know. Best bet seems to be holding both legs by the ankles and trying not to smear poo everywhere Gets way more challenging when they start rolling and crawling though. I am tempted to sit on Sam at times

Hehe, I found Benjy scary to clean at first! Even though its all on the outside there seemed to be more places for it to hide and stick!!

urgh, i find it much harder to clean boys naps at work, probably cos i am soooo used to girls.

I second what the other's have said though, generally you won't have to "get in there" and clean too much, everything kinda stays closed-ish and not much gets it, baths usually do the trick of washing it away.

One thing that's important to remember though.. always wipe front to back and once you have done that, dont go back up to the front again.. simple rule that as females we remember but i have found that alot of new mums don't realise the same thing applies to baby girls.

Thanks so much for your tips! You had me laughing a few times there with thoughts of sitting on my baby to get her to stay still!! tee hee hee

And the shark fin poo MUMTOSAM - thats hilarious!!!

I'm... all of a sudden turned off the idea of having a girl bring on 3 boys!